SW France

Question 1

What are the characteristics of Tannat and where is it found?

Answer 1

Most often found in MADIRAN. Also Cahors.

• Often blended w Cab Sauvignon, Cab Franc and Fer to soften astringency
• Tough, deep black-berried grape
• Deep colour, very high potentially astringent tannins, high alcohol, raspberry aromas and ageing potential
• Micro-oxygenation created to help soften tannins

Question 2

What is Auxerrois?

Answer 2

Malbec in SW France/Cahors

Question 3

What is Malbec like in SW France

Answer 3

Thin-skinned grape which needs more sun vs. Cab Sauv or Merlot
Often cultivated in bush vines (gobelet)
Produces darkest and most tannic wines in limestone soils of Cahors
Ripe fruit gives deep colour, ample tannins and aromas of damsons, tobacco and raisin

Question 4

Characteristics of Duras/where grown?

Answer 4

Deep color, full bodied wines with good structure and acidity

Found in Gaillac

Early budding

Usually blended w Fer and Négrette

Question 5

What is another name for Fer? Where is it found? What does it taste like?

Answer 5

Braucol
Main component in Gaillac, also found in Madiran and Bergerac
Currants, red fruits, soft tannins

Question 6

Where is Negrette found, and what is it like?

Answer 6

Must dominate the blend in FRONTON

Suited for hot, dry climates

Fruit with slight animal and violet

Question 7

What is Mauzac?

Answer 7

Principal white grape in Gaillac

Appley, aromatic

Blended with Len de l’El

Question 8

What is Len de l’El?

Answer 8

Minor ingredient in Gaillac

Powerful and characterful but can be flabby

Question 9

What is Ondenc?

Answer 9

White grape in Gaillac with poor yields and rot

Question 10

What grapes are used in Jurancon?

Answer 10

Petit Manseng (high quality, thick skinned, sweet wines)

Gros Manseng (more generous yields, usually only used for dry wines)

Question 11

What are the subregions of Bergerac?

Answer 11

Monbazillac, Saussignac, Haut-Montravel - all for botrytized sweet wines. Left Bank of the Dordogne

Question 12

What is Bergerac like (location, climate, wines)?

Answer 12

Both sides of Dordogne, past Entre deux Mers and Right Bank
Similar climate to Bordeaux with less maritime influence 
Similar soils (alluvial silt to clay and limestone)on higher terraces 
Makes mainly reds from Bordeaux varieties w increasing proportion of barrel-aged Cotes de Bergerac (lower yields & higher abv ~12.5%abv) and whites (Bergerac sec)

Question 13

What is Buzet like?

Answer 13

In the Garonne valley, southeast of Bordeaux/Graves
AC created in 1973 under strong influence of cooperative Les Vignerons de Buzet who spearheaded the use of sophisticated barrel ageing
Mostly red; all Buzet must have min 1yr in barrel
Mainly gravels and clay hills planted with the 3 main Bdx varieties, especially Merlot

Question 14

What is Cahors like?

Answer 14

East of Bordeaux, north of Toulouse along the Lot river
Climate influenced both by the Mediterranean and the Atlantic; great sun exposure; cold winters
Revival since 1956 after phylloxera/competition wiped out
Auxerrois/Malbec is the key grape (min 70% of AC’s blend) w Merlot & Tannat for the remaining 30%. Oak aging
TANNIC when young; BERRIES, LICORICE, HERBS; CEDAR EARTH

Question 15

What is Gaillac like?

Answer 15

Dynamic region NE of Toulouse on both sides of the Tarn river and around the town of Gaillac
Believed to be one of the first viticultural centres of ancient Gaul, long before Bordeaux
Gaillac exports were limited by Bordeaux’s tariffs and conditions to ship in the middle ages
Warmer climate
All styles: Most commonly spicy structured reds from Duras and Braucol; crisp, dry whites from sauvignon, sémillon and local Mauzac and powerful Len de l’El; sweet whites from Ondenc as well Mauzac & Len de l’El

Question 16

What is Madiran like?

Answer 16

In Gascogne; south of Armagnac; mainly clay & limestone soils
Climate influenced by the Mediterranean that soften and moistens the vineyards but autumn are usually dry
Tannat is the key grape –min 40-80% of vineyard but usually 100% - supplemented by Cab Franc, Cab Sauv and Fer
Micro-oxygenation (i.e. precise oxygenation of wine early in fermentation and/or in maturation) developed here to soften the strong tannins of Tannat and make the wines more approachable earlier
FULL BODIED, TANNIC, BRAMBLY

Question 17

What are the main production factors for SW France?

Answer 17

Hindered by both Bordeaux trade and difficulty shipping from the south/competing with prices of Languedoc Roussillon.

3.4million hL, evenly split white red, only 10-20% exported

Vines generally split evenly between producers and 23 coops (Plaimont)

Question 18

What is Jurancon like?

Answer 18

JURANCON AC and JURANCON SEC AC

One of France’s earliest AC
Hilly relatively cool corner at the foot of the Pyrénées
Vines are espalier trained to avoid recurrent spring frosts on the steep limestone and clays slopes
Grape varieties: Gros Manseng (mostly for dry wines), Petit Manseng (mostly for sweet wines) and Courbu
Sweet Jurancon produced using PASSERILLAGE (grapes dried on the vine), harvested are at least 2 passages (up to December time) and aged in oak.
The sweet wines develop aromas of tropical fruit (pineapple, mango)

Question 19

What is Fronton like?

Answer 19

Dynamic appellation; 35kmNorth of Toulouse
Négrette is the key grape – min 50-70% of AC wine w Fer, Syrah, Cab Franc and Cab Sauv
The red wines (85% of production) are DARK and TANNIC w aromas of violet and licorice.
Rosé Negrette drunk young
A BIT of white from Mauzac
The cooperative is an important producer

Question 20

Name some important local IGPs

Answer 20

IGP Comté Tolosan: covers all of SW France

IGP Gers: Departmental

IGP Cotes du Gascogne: Armagnac region

Crisp, easy-drinking whites from Colombard, Ugni blanc, Gros Manseng, Sauv Blanc, Chard